Freak Encyclopedia
by Groan of Anger
Summary: [AU] "Think of it like a game - if you talk to someone real, you get ten points. If you talk to thin air, you get thrown in the loonie house." After a series of treatments, Chloe is released to the world of normalcy. However, AC Academy digs out a part of her past that she keeps trying to forget, with the help of certain academy attendants hiding secrets as dark as Chloe's.
1. Scene One

**A/n: This is a first fanfiction in a while (like, a little over a year?) and I'm a bit rusty, but I re-read the Darkest Powers series and I just felt so inspired to come into fanfiction again. So, I wrote this story, with two other chapters already underway. **

**Small note: I don't see this story being a very romance centered one, even though it might have a little romance. Just a head's up for anyone looking for Chlerek fluff. **

**Disclaimer: Only the plot idea is mine, everything else belongs to Kelley Armstrong. **

**Enjoy, friends :D **

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SCENE ONE, ACT ONE: HEROIN sits in car. THE STUDENTS in front of the school slowly turn to UNDEAD CREATURES. HEROIN turns to grab the gun from her bag. UNDEAD doesn't detect her yet. HEROIN slides out of car, walks towards school yard. UNDEAD CREATURES notices – attacks. HEROIN shoots – kills few UNDEAD…

The script in Chloe's mind helped to pull her attention away from her sweaty hands and her quick beating heart. Still, the distraction was temporary as her eyes slid to the students that continued to crowd the school yard, greeting each other with loud and excited voices that could be heard from the closed windows of her cab.

It was a rare sight for Chloe to see – students her age walking around freely, never needing to look over their shoulders in fear that their actions were about to be held against them. They were talking with each other the same way – freely, without being afraid that they were two seconds from their death.

Had Lyle House really been that terrible? Maybe, but Chloe buried those memories. Buried them well enough that some were just a flicker of colors in her mind, or just flashes of white light against her closed eyes –

Chloe focused her attention back to the school yard, where the density of people started to thin out as 8:30 a.m. inched closer. Finally, when only a handful of students remained, Chloe took a deep breath to calm her still shaking hands.

"Thanks Milos," Chloe stepped out of the taxi and crossed the street, gripping the strap of her bag.

The cold air pricked Chloe through the navy sweater of her uniform; she pulled her larger jacket around herself. It had rained earlier that day, the smell of wet ground still lingering around her.

The school was shrouded in the aftermath of the rain, the first set of staircase cold under Chloe's shoe clad feet. She stepped up her eyes taking in the yard of the school, which looked larger in close proximity. The red and yellow leaves of fall scattered around over the grass and the concrete path – the path led to the large school building. There were a few seating arrangements of benches, also wet with rain and leaves.

There were a few more groups than Chloe had seen from the car, but none of the students bothered to look at her, to her relief. The only time someone acknowledged her presence was when a blonde girl stepped back and almost bumped into Chloe. The girl then proceeded to apologize three times.

"I-I-it's OK," Chloe muttered, slowly walking forward. She had an urge to turn back and look at the girl, but held herself back to the best of her power. There was no need to look back, anyways, since she felt the warmth coming from the girl, which should've been proof enough. Hallucinations never felt warm – always very, very cold.

But did she imagine it? Chloe couldn't help herself as she looked back, sighing in relief when she saw the blonde girl laughing along with the rest of group. She then said something to another person, which caused them to burst into laughter, again.

Chloe was satisfied with what she saw. She took a step away from the group, about to turn around, when she noticed a dark haired girl staring at her, her eyes boring into Chloe with enough intensity to make the hairs on the back of Chloe's neck stand at an end.

She gripped her bag strap tighter. The girl was one step behind the group, looking like more of an observer rather than an active participant. No one spoke to her, no one looked at; no one other than Chloe, anyways.

She didn't know what to do, she forgot how to move. Her frozen frame stood there and kept staring at the girl, hoping that her assumptions were wrong.

It was the dark haired girl that broke eye contact. She raised an eyebrow at Chloe, and slid into the group.

Chloe turned around and continued to walk, her cheeks burning. She had to ignore the urge to look back at the girl, to make sure that someone was talking to her.

The girl was real. Chloe knew she was real, just as the blonde girl was. It comforted the tension at the back of her neck, however, to look back and see the girl lightly hit another person on the shoulder. Both of them smiled and continued to talk to each other. Eventually, they joined the group in a larger conversation.

Chloe sighed again. Her shoulders fell. She continued to walk towards the staircase. Her breathing grew steadier as she put more space between herself and the girl.

The rest of the school yard was almost empty, most students already inside the building. Only a small group of students stood by the large staircase. As Chloe got closer towards them, she heard the loud laughter.

She didn't bother to look at them for too long. They were real. She kept telling herself that they were real, her medicine and the voices of Lyle House kept telling her that they were real. She didn't need to confront them to know that they were real.

Chloe looked down as she continued to walk, forcing her to avoid looking at the group. She sped up as well, reaching the first step of the stairs right beside the group in a matter of seconds. She kept her gaze down.

By the time she was on her second step, there was another laugh that forced Chloe to look up at them. She didn't get an opportunity to actually see them too well before someone came slamming into her. She was pushed to the ground, her head hitting the hard concrete of the stairs as everything at the back of her eyelids turned black.

SCENE TWO, ACT ONE: One UNDEAD attacks HEROIN. HEROIN is turning into UNDEAD.

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**Oh, hello there. You've made it to the end of the story. For that, you get a complimentary hug from me. **

**Thank you so much for reading the prologue! Even if you didn't like it, thank you for being with us on this good day :) **

**I have to ask for some feedback, though - would you guys prefer I italicize or bold the scripts part? I was very unsure about what to do about it... **

**Again, thank you very much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, feel free to review, favorite, follow, or not. Stay tuned to the next chapter, which should be up soon. **

**- DatingSite/ DS**


	2. Scene Two

**... I've been away long enough for a pigeon dating simulator to be released. I wish I had a better excuse than the fact that I rewrote this chapter many times because I couldn't decide on a good enough chapter. **

**Anyways, thank you guys for sticking around and reading this story. It's 2,075 words, created from my sweat and tears. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own DP or the characters from the books. **

**Enjoy ~**

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After the concussion that left her bed ridden for only a day, Chloe was reluctant to return to Andrew Cotton Academy, her fears centering on anyone attacking her again. Even Steve Saunders – her Father – wanted her to apply to a different school, but her aunt Lauren had objected furiously.

Lauren had went over and under to bring Chloe back to the academy, spending hours upon hours convincing Chloe's Father that what happened was a mere mistake that won't happen again. She went as far as to arrange a meeting with the principal and other heads of the school, who also promised that Chloe would be safe from now on, and that they had taken measures to make sure the incident didn't repeat.

Chloe's Father hesitantly agreed, under the term that if something did happen again, Chloe would be pulled out instantly. Chloe, although fearing the worst, agreed, seeing the academy as a step up from the Lyle House.

As her second first day approached, however, she felt doubtful in her decision. The day didn't start with any melancholic events that would've served as a sign for her, but the nervous knot at the pit of her stomach was discouraging enough.

"Chloe, you haven't touched your food,"

Lauren must've sensed Chloe's unease. She brought her out to a restaurant before school, where Chloe was served a stack of pancakes that she only poked at, the sweet smell of the syrup and the batter hitting the back of her nose in an uneasy way.

"I'm not that hungry," Chloe replied, sipping from her glass of orange juice. She pushed her plate away slightly, looking over her Aunt's shoulder out on to the street, where morning joggers and dog walkers were passing by.

The restaurant was a small one, situated in a hidden road away from the morning rush of Rochester, which made it a suitable place to have a breakfast with minimal noise. A few others were seated about the room, engrossed in their own conversations or newspapers, mostly ignoring each other.

Chloe's attention fell on a woman, seated at the table farthest across from herself, her hair bobbed and hidden under a hat that fell over her forehead. Chloe could see the pale skin and the bright red lips, which moved rhythmically as she chewed her scone –

"Chloe, you're better now,"

Chloe jumped at Lauren's voice. She turned her attention back to the stack of pancakes sitting in front of her. Her Aunt knew her gestures well enough now to guess when she was thinking or what she was about to think.

"I know," Chloe sighed, "but… I don't know,"

"It takes time," Lauren said. She reached over and put her hand over Chloe's, "But just know that things aren't like they were before,"

Chloe nodded. She took a hesitant bite out of her pancakes, swallowing painfully as the taste hit her tongue.

"I never really liked pancakes," Chloe muttered, "they don't taste right,"

Lauren knit her brows together. "Then why did you order it?"

Chloe shrugged.

"Why don't you order something -"

"It's alright," Chloe interrupted, "I have an energy bar,"

Her gaze shifted back to the woman with the red lips. She stood out in the diner full of people in black blazers, all of whom were busy finishing the last piece of toast off their plates. The woman, on the other hand, sat with her back to her chair and her focus on her book, drinking from her cup occasionally.

"… and it's very important that you get enough food,"

"I'm sorry?" Chloe looked back at her Aunt and the waitress that was standing beside their table.

"What would you like, Chloe?" Lauren asked. Chloe looked at her watch, and then gathered her bag.

"I would like to go to school on time," Chloe said, "It's already 8:20 – "

"I'd rather have you late for class than passing out,"

"I won't," Chloe stood up from her seat. She smiled to the waitress and said that they wouldn't need anything.

"Chloe – "

"It's okay, Aunt Lauren, " Chloe said, "I'll just buy something for lunch,"

Lauren sighed. She told Chloe to wait by the car as she paid for the breakfast.

Chloe was about to step out of the door when she looked back at the red-lipped woman, who had stood up and grabbed her belongings as well. She came towards the door while Chloe stared at her.

Time slowed down as Chloe continued to watch, her heart thudding against her chest and ringing her ears. The woman looked up at her with slanted blue eyes and smiled, which in turn caused Chloe's hands to start shaking.

"Excuse me," The woman stepped out, leaving behind a warm trail. Slowly, Chloe released her death grip on the door handle and pushed them into her jacket pocket.

She didn't know what she expected, but it wasn't anything like what occurred. What mattered to her, however, was that no one had seen her staring at thin air. She sighed again, relieved that she hadn't spoken to the woman.

Chloe walked to the car with Lauren, silent their entire ride to the academy.

(-)

Chloe stepped on the school grounds carefully. The area looked different from when it was populated; everything stood out more. She had never noticed before, for example, that the tree branches hung low, like draped fingers of a hand that could shelter students underneath its carful sways.

She had encountered the dark haired girl under one of the trees a few days beforehand. The intense gaze and arrogant roll of her eyes had remained fresh in Chloe's mind, and would send involuntary shivers down her spine. She knew very well that the girl was real, but convincing herself of the fact was not easy.

Slowly, she took her gaze off the tree and returned to her past path towards the school. She knew that she was bound to see the girl again when they were sharing a school building and all the other commodities that came with it; the event would be inevitable.

Cold prickles stung the back of Chloe's head simply thinking about potential encounters. She had grown accustomed to them, and accepted it as a side effect of her medication, as explained by the psychologist at the Lyle House, Ms. Gill. Still, the sting took Chloe by surprise and she had to stop in her path for a second, rubbing the dull pain at her temple.

The shrill cry of the school bell didn't help in soothing the pain. Chloe shook her head a bit, moved forward, and rushed through the path. Soon, she was climbing up the stairs to the building and entering a crowded hall. Large blurs of blue and white rushed in front of her eyes as she looked for a gap to squeeze through.

She managed to cross over to the side where the office was, and she barely slid into the room as the crowds of students practically ran around, trying to scurry to their classes.

The office was created inside a white walled room with minimal sunlight streaming in through the windows at a cubicle area in the back. The rest was lit by white lights hanging from the ceilings, illuminating the room for the middle aged workers in office suits, clicking away robotically at their key boards. None of them looked up to acknowledge each other; their eyes were glued to their own work, which led to an uneasy silence in the office.

Chloe gripped the strap of her bag tighter and walked towards the desk closer to her.

"Hello – "

"Chloe Saunders," The woman on the desk – Ms. Bui, according to the name seal on her desk – looked up at Chloe with sunken in eyes. The blood in Chloe's body ran cold, "We've been waiting for you,"

"O-o-oh,"

"How is your head?" Her voice was monotone. It took Chloe a second to understand what she was asking about before her forehead throbbed a bit, and she replied.

"G-good "

"It should be getting better," Ms. Bui cut Chloe off, "you have a lot of catching up to do,"

Chloe gulped. She nodded her head slowly while the secretary shuffled around, gathering papers. Some time passed, and Chloe was about to ask Ms. Bui about her schedule when the woman passed her the stack of papers and a pen.

"You will need to fill out these papers and sign… here… here… and here," Ms. Bui motioned to empty spaces around the paper. "I will just go get your schedule,"

She walked away with a large folder in hand while Chloe took a seat at the waiting area. She kept looking up towards Ms. Bui every few minutes while the secretary walked back to her desk and continued with her work, in the same robotic fashion as the others in the room.

SCENE FOUR, ACT ONE: HEROIN stuck in room with UNDEADS. HEROIN tries to work without waking the UNDEADS. Moaning comes from left corner. HEROIN looks up – sees UNDEAD-ONE waking up. HEROIN grabs closest weapon and attempts to attack UNDEAD-ONE.

Chloe shook her head to clear her thoughts when she noticed the empty paper in front of her. She had sat there for a while, too busy in her own mind to pay attention to the questions she needed to answer. Sighing, she started to scratch letters onto the papers.

There was a shift in the air that slipped Chloe's detection, initially, during which time she was biting her lips and trying to remember the address of her new apartment. The numbers and letter were escaping her memory, all while a sting started to itch softly at the back of Chloe's neck.

She rubbed it absentmindedly, filling out more of the paper with her other hand. She then pulled her sweater tighter around her when the temperature of the office dropped slightly. Chloe, again, failed to notice the difference enough to let it bother her. She continued on filling in the last page.

Chloe felt another sting of pain at the back of her neck as she rose up from her seat with the papers in hand. She handed them back to Ms. Bui while rubbing the spot with her fingers, dropping her head from side to side to stretch her neck.

Ms. Bui looked up at the papers, but not at Chloe. She flipped through them, and then typed something into her computer.

"Here is your schedule," Chloe reached out her hand and grabbed the slip of paper. She was barely looking over it when her shoulders tensed, and a needle like sensation started stinging the back of her neck. She flinched and hissed, grabbing the spot with her free hand.

"Are you alright?" Ms. Bui stood up from her seat, concern lacing her voice.

"F-f-fine," Chloe stepped back, shaking her head a little, "Just –"

She stopped, feeling a cold air brush past her. Chloe looked back, hoping to see the root of the problem, but all she saw was a blonde boy standing in the doorway of the office. He was wearing the same navy and white uniform as the other students, but his hair was sticking up. The collar of his shirt was wrinkled, and one of his shoelaces was coming undone – he stood out among the pristinely groomed students that inhabited the academy.

As he glanced at Chloe, the boy's smile faltered for a moment. Chloe, herself, felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand at an end as she continued to look at him, and her hand shook the slightest.

The boy blinked a few times, and forced back a smile. He stepped towards where Chloe was standing, turning back to look at the secretary quickly. Chloe stepped a little away from his proximity, trying to distance herself from… the cold emitting from him.

"Hi Ms. Bui – "

Ms. Bui reached under her desk and pulled out a dark blue pouch. She handed it to the boy quickly, and whispered something to him.

He nodded, and turned around to leave the room. Before he did leave, he smiled towards Chloe, and reached out a hand.

"I'm Simon," Chloe looked at his hand for a spare second before reaching out her own, slowly.

"I'm C-C-C – "

"Chloe, I know," Chloe felt her shoulders tense again as Simon cut her off, "I was the one that fell on you,"

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**Suspense? Anti-climatic? Let me know in the reviews!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it! I promise that the next chapter will be a little more progressive than this one :D  
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**Thanks guys for reading my story and for your support! I'll see you soon, **

**- DatingSite **


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